Andrew Webster

[Meth]

Yeah- this season started with pressure on Webster. We played finals technically, but predictably got dismissed straight away. We stopped looking like a decent football side at some point in June.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

A lot of thoughts swirling in my head.

FInishing 6th (7th now, I guess) s a pass mark, the NRL is hard and clearly Webster can coach. Losing your halfback is something that sides outside the top four can't cover - only the great sides like the Storm, Broncos, I think Raiders could live without Fogarty, Dogs have been operating without a decent 7 etc. And we are not one of those. I think we could have really gone closer last night with Metcalf's spark. And we miss our captain badly.

But I feel like we're trapped somewhat in playing a style that doesn't suit us, the Penrith playbook. That isn't replicable by us. Too many effort guys on the field last night and not enough game-breaking talent. I reckon Penrith knew last night they'd get us - far too predictable. We tried, it was an admirable effort, but that was probably our high watermark on how we were going to go, which is a bit depressing given we had so much ball in the first half and the rub of the green went all our way.

Cappy has already said we've got 29 of 30 spots locked down for 2026 (AKP is possibly the 30th) so things aren't going to change exponentially. Metcalf comes back with Barney to make us better. AKP is a weapon we need on the flanks, although apparently he can't defend either.

I feel like 2026 needs to harness more Tuaupiki, Healey, Leiataua, EIT, these guys who have massive upside, potentially over guys like CNK, Egan, Ford etc who bring a level of effort and experience, but don't put the frighteners up anyone they play.

I still think we can go top 4 again in 2026 with what we have, but we got to 6th this year off a hell of a plum draw, so whether or not that happens is to be seen. The coach needs to continue to grow, he clearly has the man management stuff down but game management...the woeful defending aspects at times, predictable attacking patterns, use of the bench, personnel in the halves, etc need developing.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I still don’t understand what goes through Webster’s head with a lot of stuff. Clark has been our best player all year and he drops him back to 40 minutes for the important games? Ford is an obvious handbrake who clearly gets worse the more minutes he plays, and Webster is dead set on playing him 70 straight? Plus just the style we play generally. Webster keeps saying ‘if we play our football we’ll win’ yet time and again he’s proved spectacularly wrong. We can successfully ‘play our football’ 90% of the game, dominate 90% of the game, and still lose by 20 because ‘our football’ has no interest in the scoring parts of the game (attacking or defending).

I really feel like Webster is an expert at implementing a dumb strategy but in a very disciplined and enthusiastic way.

Geezus, NRL.com says Erin Clark played 37 minutes.

I agree completely, Ford is not a 68-minute player. I have been a Ford 'fan' (or not a hater) but yeah I'm not in on his worth to this side, at least as he is used.

I don't enjoy how Webster sticks to this 'our brand of football wins'. As with a lot of rhetoric in the world now, it doesn't stand up to evidence or reason. We won 4 of our last 12 games. So are we to say that we played our brand 1/3rd the time? Those 4 were all against bottom 8 teams, two of them could easily have been dire losses (Knights and crippled Dragons). Our brand got destroyed against top 4 sides.

I obviously don't know the Warriors inner sanctum but I wonder if Webster has any dissenting or challenging voices in his ear. No chance Stacey is one. I thought it was revealing a few weeks ago when he came to a presser with a buzzer or some sort of thing, saying he'd sound it if there were silly questions. The media should be there to ask tough questions. To ask why we can't score points. How winning four from 11 is acceptable. Why he says 'our brand wins' without evidence. Why Erin Clark spent more time sitting than playing. What he sees in Jackson Ford playing 70 minutes. What Marata Niukore brings...so on and so forth. But we don't get that from an obsequious media, and therefore we don't get to know why these things happen.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

A lot of thoughts swirling in my head.

FInishing 6th (7th now, I guess) s a pass mark, the NRL is hard and clearly Webster can coach. Losing your halfback is something that sides outside the top four can't cover - only the great sides like the Storm, Broncos, I think Raiders could live without Fogarty, Dogs have been operating without a decent 7 etc. And we are not one of those. I think we could have really gone closer last night with Metcalf's spark. And we miss our captain badly.

But I feel like we're trapped somewhat in playing a style that doesn't suit us, the Penrith playbook. That isn't replicable by us. Too many effort guys on the field last night and not enough game-breaking talent. I reckon Penrith knew last night they'd get us - far too predictable. We tried, it was an admirable effort, but that was probably our high watermark on how we were going to go, which is a bit depressing given we had so much ball in the first half and the rub of the green went all our way.

Cappy has already said we've got 29 of 30 spots locked down for 2026 (AKP is possibly the 30th) so things aren't going to change exponentially. Metcalf comes back with Barney to make us better. AKP is a weapon we need on the flanks, although apparently he can't defend either.

I feel like 2026 needs to harness more Tuaupiki, Healey, Leiataua, EIT, these guys who have massive upside, potentially over guys like CNK, Egan, Ford etc who bring a level of effort and experience, but don't put the frighteners up anyone they play.

I still think we can go top 4 again in 2026 with what we have, but we got to 6th this year off a hell of a plum draw, so whether or not that happens is to be seen. The coach needs to continue to grow, he clearly has the man management stuff down but game management...the woeful defending aspects at times, predictable attacking patterns, use of the bench, personnel in the halves, etc need developing.

On the halves bit, I think the Warriors could have covered it a bit better, but there was a complete stubbornness from the pre season to recognise TMM as a 7. Personally I thought all year he was a top 2 half in the squad all year. Last year, I can’t remember the exact stats, but it was something like the Warriors lost 9 straight with SJ in the 7, but were 5/8 with TMM in the 7

Think I mentioned in the game day thread, thought it was a complete mistake in those conditions and in finals footy to go small ball on the bench, especially when it hasn’t been seen at other times in the year. Even though he was still dangerous with the ball, the late switch of Halasima to a starting centre i don’t think was the right move either, his role has been all over the show for the past couple of months, and last night you might have been better served with Leka in the middle and Capewell out wide

 

[JJ]

Webster sure as shit isn’t a problem… Shane we couldn’t keep Gus around, but I’m happy with the coach, discipline and effort are literally 2/3 of the issue, and have often been our Achilles heels

 

[Rich102]

I agree with you.
But not sure about the assistants.

 

[nswarrior]

We have made 2 finals in the last 3 years with Webster. We played a home final with our 2 best players in crucial positions out for more than half the season.

Webster has been very good.

We need to improve our backline though to go further

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Webster sure as shit isn’t a problem… Shane we couldn’t keep Gus around, but I’m happy with the coach, discipline and effort are literally 2/3 of the issue, and have often been our Achilles heels

Problem I think isn't the word to describe what some people, certainly me are attributing to Webby. And yes I am old enough to remember how we took for granted the finals we made from 2007-11 (and would have made in 06).

I'd disagree that discipline and effort are anywhere near 66% of the problem, however. The first one was an issue last night at times, most notably with Jackson Ford, the captain has had issues around that too. But effort never has been, for mine. It's skill, at times, and X-factor at times. And the ability to right wrongs around consistent defensive mistakes, make-up of the side etc.

Ivan's 07 team lost in straight sets, but in 2008 worked out a way to beat the best teams. I think as fans, that's what we're trying to see - the ability to beat top 4 teams. That hasn't happened a lot in Webby's time. No doubt he's a fine coach and I am happy he's with us, and it's relatively early days, for sure. I just want to see progress.

 

[Meth]

I think there's a circular argument to be had here. We don't have the roster to do much better than we do and Webster is getting the most of the cattle that he has. But we also have the roster that Webster wants.

 

[JJ]

I think there's a circular argument to be had here. We don't have the roster to do much better than we do and Webster is getting the most of the cattle that he has. But we also have the roster that Webster wants.

Yeah, I guess the question remains is it really the roster he wants, or just was he can get…. He’s done well with what he has imo

Will Jett become an answer?

 

[Izz]

I think we're still a season or so away from fully having the roster Webby wants. He inherited SJ, Tohu, etc and essentially had to wait on them to call time rather than call time on them (imagine the uproar if SJ had wanted to play on in 2024 but Webby said 'nah, mate, either retire or play somewhere else')

 

[flippikat]

Will Jett become an answer?

Therein lies one of the biggest questions for the off-season: is it time to unleash him on first grade?

 

[Izz]

Therein lies one of the biggest questions for the off-season: is it time to unleash him on first grade?

Still at least half a season off imo

 

[Matua]

We have made 2 finals in the last 3 years with Webster. We played a home final with our 2 best players in crucial positions out for more than half the season.

Webster has been very good.

We need to improve our backline though to go further

Webster has been good, but I don't know if he's going to be the guy to take us to the next level.

Going out in the finals week one is actually an overachievement I think. Remove Leka from two games and we scrape into the 8.

I was annoyed with Webster when he persisted with the small bench gameplan at the start of this year which had worked so well in 2023, and was an abject failure in 2024. I'm still not certain whether circumstances forced his hand (Walker leaving) but credit to him for making the change.

I do find him a bit bemusing in that his favoured halves are both out and out attacking players with seemingly little organisational ability compared with other halves and his favourite centre is completely bland with the ball in hand but is apparently good at chasing kicks. But then again probably any coach has some bemusing selectorial favourites. Will be interesting to see how Metcalf goes next year to see whether he can replicate his form.

To circle back to my opening sentence, I fear that he's going to be another Cleary and he'll use his experience here (not saying that negatively) at this next club for success.